The View
by shockin'blueeyes
Summary: 'Why not' she opened her mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say. He had never asked her why. After she rejected him, he would just go away and try the next day, but he never asked why she rejected him.


Written for Flitwick's prompt of the day 'rainy nights' and the bonus 'can't take it anymore' and 'love me for me'

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

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'Miss Evans? You have to go now, I have to close the library' Lily's head snapped up from her homework at Madame's Pince voice, and she looked around, dumbfounded when she saw she was the last one in the library. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Nine o'clock. Wow, she hadn't realised it was so late. Another one of the many rainy nights she spent in the library.

'Oh, yes, sorry, I'll go now' she quickly crammed her things in her bag again and left the library, her mind still set on homework. She needed to finish her Transfiguration essay if she wanted to go the next day with Marlene to Hogsmeade, and even then she'll have to leave early to study. She hated N.E.W.T.s.

She said the password to the Head's common room, silently praying that James wasn't in there. He wouldn't let her do homework, that was for sure.

'Oh, hello Lily, what were you doing out of our common room so late, sunshine?' no such luck.

'I'm not your sunshine, Potter. And it's none of your business.' She set her things on the table, ignoring James, currently sprawled on the couch in front of the fireplace and doing nothing. Lazy git.

'Why so harsh, Lily?' he asked, and she gritted her teeth.

'I'm not harsh' James snorted at this, but she ignored him 'And I'm trying to do homework, so leave me alone.' Okay, maybe that was a bit harsher than necessary, but she didn't have much patience left after an exhausting day of classes and homework. It was Friday night, and there she was, doing homework instead of being with her friends.

Hey, wait a second. James was here too… where were his friends?

'Where are your friends, Potter?' she asked, and he raised an eyebrow.

'Well, Moony was tutoring Wormtail, and Padfoot's probably off with some girl'

'And why aren't you off with a girl yourself?' she couldn't help it.

'Lily, that hurt my feelings, you know you're the only girl for me' he replied, that stupid smirk of his on his face. She hated it! She hated how he always found a way to upset her, she hated how he wouldn't give up on her even if she rejected him time and time again, she hated how he scared off every single boy that came her way, and most of all she hated how enjoyed it every time h asked her out. She wasn't supposed to enjoy it, but hell, who didn't enjoy a little bit of attention?

She continued her essay, but it was almost impossible to concentrate between the rain falling against the window and James humming. She tried to block it out, ignore it, but her mind went blank.

'James, stop!' she nearly shouted, and he looked up from the couch, startled.

'Why?'

'Because I can't concentrate! I have to finish this essay now if I want to go to Hogsmeade, and I can't concentrate with you humming! So stop!' he looked taken aback, and she pretended not to care. If she apologised it would be a sign of weakness, and she would be giving him false hope. Because it was false hope. She would never go out with him, because the second she gave up, James would have with he wanted, and he'll move on onto the next girl. So yeah, she couldn't give him false hope.

She nearly jumped a foot in the air when he spoke next, dangerously close to her ear.

'What is this essay of?' he asked.

'Transfiguration. Why?' he smirked and sat besides her, snatching the parchment out of her hands.

'Hey, give it back!' she demanded, but he chuckled.

'Go out with me and I'll help you with the essay' she stared at him, relishing in the first four words of the sentence.

'No.' his face fell a little bit, but his smirk returned in no time.

'Why not?' she opened her mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say. He had never asked her why. After she rejected him, he would just go away and try the next day, but he never asked why she rejected him.

'Well, for a couple of very good reasons. One, I don't like you. Two, even if you have changed this year, you still are a pompous arrogant git. And three, because the second I say yes you'll have what you wanted and you'll move on to the next girl that resists you, am I wrong?' the moment she finished talking she regretted every word she had said. It wasn't true she didn't like him, but she wasn't about to let him know that, and he wasn't a pompous, arrogant git anymore, he had truly changed this year. But the last part was kinda true, right?

Apparently not. James stood up, shoving the parchment in her hands.

'I can't take it anymore!' he turned to her. 'I have spent six years of my life chasing you! Do you think I'll leave you right after you say yes?' she looked at him, unsure of why he was shouting. 'And Lily, we both now I'm not a pompous arrogant git anymore, we both know it's because of my friends you still think I'm like that. But I'm not, and I'm pleading you here, can't you just forget my friends and love me for me? Yes, I said love!' he added seeing her shocked expression 'Because I bloody well love you' for a few seconds all that could be heard in the Head's common room was the steady tapping of the rain on the window, and then the slamming of the door of the boy's dorm when James, a horrified expression in his face, ran to his dorm. Lily stared at the door, transfixed, for a few moments, before tossing her essay to the table and getting up. She paused on the door of his dorm, not sure about what she was going to do next.

James Potter had just said he loved her, and even though she was supposed to feel horrible for not loving him back, she found out she couldn't. She steadied herself and knocked on the door, but nobody answered. Slowly, she turned the handle and opened the door, peering inside. James lied stretched on the bed, arms spread at his sides and face down. If the circumstances were others, she would have laughed, but right now her throat was feeling like it might close at any second.

'James, can we talk?' she asked softly. He didn't move, and his voice sounded muffled when he spoke.

'No, thanks, I think I'm just gonna lie here and die' she couldn't repress a smile. Tiptoeing inside the room, she closed the door behind her and walked to her queen sized bed, sitting on the edge besides him.

'James, please look at me' she demanded softly, shaking his arm.

'No' he replied stubbornly. He had his face still pressed against the pillow, and she wondered if he still had his glasses on.

'James, look at me!' she demanded again, swatting his arm. Slowly, as if it might hurt him, he turned his head to face. He still had his glasses, which were askew, but he didn't bother to straighten them.

'Look, Lily, I'm sorry, I really am, I don't know what got into me, I just… urgh.' He gave up and flopped down back at the pillow.

'James, I' she gulped. 'I was lying back there. I like you, okay? And I know you're not a pompous brat anymore, you have proven that enough times this year. And I'm sorry I suggested I would just be another notch in your bedpost, you would never do that, seeing as you… love me. James, I can't say I love you, because I'll be lying to you, but I would like to try, really. So, if you could just turn and say something, please? It's really creeping me out how you're smothering yourself with the pillow.'

'You mean it? That you'd like to try?' he asked, still not looking at her. She nodded until she remembered he couldn't see her, and she quickly answered.

'Yes, of course. So please, James, can you turn n-' she never got around finishing the sentence, as James had suddenly jolted up and pinned her to the bed, his hazel eyes glistening and his face set in the most wonderful beam she had ever seen. But, instead of kissing her, he just stared, beaming at her.

'James?' she whispered.

'Mmmh, yeah?' he mumbled, still beaming. She bit back a laugh.

'Can you kiss me now?' at her question he simply beamed more.

'No, I'm admiring the view' he replied, but he bent down nonetheless and pressed their lips together.

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Meh, not my best, but I love Lily and James, don't you?

Please, don't favorite without reviewing.


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